The trustees of the Glen Ellen Fire District are still mulling a professional services contract with the Sonoma Valley Fire and Rescue Authority.
At a meeting on Nov. 8, the trustees told the more than two dozen people in attendance, that nothing was signed and no decision had been reached on the proposed contract.
Under the proposed $729,873 annual contract, Glen Ellen would receive one fire captain and one fire engineer, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And it would receive an ALS (advance life support) engine.
Glen Ellen, as many other rural volunteer fire departments, is suffering from a lack of volunteers. Board President Bob Norrbom Sr. told the group that the department is down to about 10 volunteers.
“Our job as a board is to protect the residents of Glen Ellen,” he said. The board has explored various options including talking with Kenwood, CalFire and Eldridge. “This is the best option right now.”
“We’re still in the process of studying (the contract),” Norrbom Sr. continued. “We’re not rushing into anything.”
Jim Kracke, one of the department’s officers, told the audience that the district is at a crossroads. “Kenwood is in the same boat,” he said. “They have a lack of staffing. I’m in favor of the only viable option. There is no Plan B,” he said.
Norrbom Sr. said that at this time, the contract is still a rough draft – a “very rough draft. We want input (on the proposed contract).”
The district’s five officers presented a letter to the directors urging them to sign the contract with Sonoma.
Capt. Keenan Lee read the letter to the board saying, “It is without dispute that the Glen Ellen Fire District is no longer able to effectively respond to and mitigate emergencies within its jurisdiction …”
The letter reiterated the fact that the department has been looking at alternative staffing models for more than a year and, as part of that search, approached Sonoma Valley to see if it could be of assistance.
“ … A contract with the Sonoma Valley Fire and Rescue Authority is the most reasonable and responsible solution to the current issues being experienced by the Glen Ellen Fire District,” Lee continued.
Bob Norrbom Jr., a longtime Glen Ellen volunteer and a battalion chief with Sonoma Valley, said that the number of volunteers has dropped dramatically.
“Thirty years ago when I became I volunteer here, I had to wait six months before I got a pager and turnouts,” he said. “Now we have extras.”
And he tried to calm the fears that some people had expressed about losing the identity of the fire department.
“We don’t want to change the name on the engines, on the sign in front of the fire station or the Glen Ellen Volunteer Firefighters Association,” he said.
Norrbom Jr. said that all of Sonoma Valley’s resources would be available to Glen Ellen including volunteer recruitment, training, fire prevention services and an ALS engine.
“This is a turn-key proposal,” he said.
“Right now, you’re in an operational crisis,” he said. “You need to address this.”
He said a lot of work has gone into the proposed contract. “This isn’t something you can purchase on Amazon or eBay,” he said. And he promised that he would do everything he can to support the contract.
The board met in a closed session on Monday, Nov. 14, to talk more about the proposed contract.
Norrbom Sr. promised the audience that there would be public meetings before any contract would be signed. And, if it decides to sign the proposed contract, it would have to take the vote in a public meeting.
Email bill at bill.hoban@sonomanews.com.
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